Does the name George William Crump mean anything to you? He was a college student in 1804 at Washington College when he brought to America a new and strange activity. At first it was not appreciated and in fact when he first introduced it at his college campus he was arrested for it. But, eventually it caught on. In fact, Robert E. Lee later sanctioned it as a rite of passage for young Washington and Lee gentlemen.

Even though George William Crump would later go on to become a U.S. congressman and ambassador to Chile he will likely always be known as the man who introduced what to America? Streaking!

There is naked, like when you are in the shower or right before you get dressed. And then there is neked, when the absence of clothes is entirely inappropriate. Why would anyone in their right mind want to run around neked in front of other people? I can’t answer that. I still shudder when I think of the adolescent dreams I had, showing up at school without clothes on. For most of us it would be utterly shameful to be seen naked or neked. There is just something about the idea that just makes us uncomfortable. You might feel uneasy just reading this!

I think nakedness is uncomfortable because there is a certain sense of vulnerability that is associated with it. There is nothing to hide and nothing to adjust to make ourselves look better, we just are who we are and everyone can see it.

Hebrews 4:12-13 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Our entire lives are naked before God. He can see everything. Every thought we’ve ever had, every unseen action we’ve ever done, every motivation behind every visible activity we’ve ever participated in. He sees it all. There are not enough jackets in the world to cover us up before God. If He were to announce to the world the evil that lies in our hearts we would instantly be ashamed. And that is exactly what the Word of God is able to do. But, God doesn’t point out our sin simply because He wants us to feel bad about it, nor does He want us to ignore it. He points it out so that we might see how desperately we need to be forgiven of it. Scripture is able to uncover our sin, but it also teaches us that God does not want to leave us uncovered. Romans 13:14 says, “...clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ...” Those old clothes are worn out and dirty. The JC brand of clothes are better than a three-piece suit or a mink coat. His clothes cover up our sin and give us new life!